Chapter 4

Chapter 4
“Wake up. Everyone, please wake up!” Ash Nair was almost hysterical as she tried to get her classmates to wake up.


Only a few moments ago, she had stirred from her oblivious slumber, expecting to find herself still in the bus after falling asleep unexpectedly. But to her dismay, she found herself in a dilapidated room, with broken windows and rotting wooden tables and chairs scattered around in the classroom-sized space.


All around her lay her classmates, the students of 5S, SMK The Star. All of them were out cold. What had happened? She didn’t know. The frantic girl only hoped that everyone was alive and okay.


Gradually, the others got up groggily, some rubbing the sleep from their eyes, some still reluctant to wake up but a few others sat straight up, alert to an unknown danger and wary of anything.


It didn’t take very long for the others to realise that they weren’t in a comfortable air-conditioned bus any more. In fact, they were sleeping on a dust-covered floor that might just have other undesirable things on it.


“What’s going on?”


“Where are we?”


“What happened?”


“Am I still asleep?”


The sound of a door squeaking open silenced the anxious chatters that were rising from the teenagers. A bald man strode into the room, followed by a couple of burly-looking guys that looked a little too much like thugs to be comfortable, wearing clothes that were all in black and having shades on.


“Who are you?” hissed Farid, surprising every one of his classmates in the room.
The bald man ignored the usually quiet boy and instead started to address the crowd, most of which had already gotten up from their more prone positions.


“Welcome, one and all,” he started, sounding and behaving as if he was speaking in front of a camera or before a crowd of adoring fans. “And congratulations. Let me introduce myself. My name is Kyle, I am a director. You have all been chosen to star in my special Battle Royale movie. It’s very simple, really. I wish to create a realistic survival movie in which teenagers, to wit, you will kill each other in order to survive and escape.”


At this, a collective gasp came from the 39 people present. What did he say? Kill each other?


“Settle down, settle down. Let me finish. Now there are a few rules you will have to follow for the duration of filming. Are we clear on this?” The question came as a surprise. Was he seriously asking them so that they could have a say or was he just posing a rhetorical question as a mind game?


“What if we refuse to comply?” Celine piped up, her voice steady and confident for some reason.


Kyle shrugged. “You die.” No one else said anything.


“Crystal clear, then. Firstly, to escape, only one can live. A little like the Hunger Games, no?” A raised eyebrow. No one responded. “Every one of you will be given a bracelet to wear, a tracker, obviously. It sends life signals, location and voice recordings to us. You might want to take note that the bracelet can cause an explosion that will kill the wearer and anyone else within three metres of him or her. It can be detonated by remote control” Kyle raised a sleek black rectangle that had a number panel and an ominous-looking red button on it. “Or if someone tampers with it.” He smiled devilishly, causing a number of the girls to shiver.


“Each of you will be given a weapon or a specific item besides a basic survival pack. Inside the pack will be some food, water, a simple map and the said weapon or item. You have approximately 72 hours – or three days, give or take- to complete this ‘game’. If time is up and more than one of you is still alive, boom goes the bracelets.


“There will be all kinds of things on the island – you’re on an uncharted island, by the way, so don’t try escaping unless you find being eaten by sharks entertaining. There is medicine, food, water, ammunition and all kinds of kit that you may find useful. Granted, they are all hidden, but I trust you resourceful kids will be able to find some of them. You are free to use anything and everything that you can find on this island, including this building. Though I don’t see how an abandoned school might help you out.


“Now, killing by any means necessary is highly recommended. After all, if none of you die by the time this is supposed to be over, all of you will. If any of you trying to escape or team up to rebel against us operators, you will be executed on the spot, without question. However, there is something good to this. The winner of this little ‘game’ will be allowed to escape and be granted one wish. I am done.”


Once again, frantic whispers arose from the students of 5S. They were being held captive by a madman and were being forced to play a very lethal game.


For the next half hour, each and every one of the teenagers was forced to put on a thin metal bracelet which could very well kill them if something happened. Once on, there seemed to be no line at all, making it look like a perfect circle around everyone’s wrists. Apparently, no one would be taking it off any time soon.


After that, they were given their weapons or items. There was no picking or bartering though, and it seemed they were given with no particular specifications. Everyone got what they got by their own luck and not by design.


“Good luck to you all and let the games begin.” That was the last thing Kyle said before ducking out the door, closely followed by his two thugs.


“This is ridiculous, it must be a joke,” announced Felix Culas. Not all of the others agreed with his sentiments but only a few spoke out.


“Sounds serious enough,” Natashya said.


“Please, it’s probably just an elaborate prank Ms Ann-Marie is playing on us.” Kelly sounded really confident.


“Can we just get out of here first? It’s kind of creepy.” Kaveeta pleaded, holding her Uzi submachine-gun awkwardly.


Soon enough, they had gotten out of the weather-beaten school building and into a small clearing filled with greenery. Insects chirped all around, but other than that, there was an eerie silence.
“What should we do now?” Amelia Wong asked once everyone was gathered loosely in the clearing.
“Maybe we should split up and go our own ways,” suggested Shixin, looking calm as ever. But what was that glint in her eyes? That almost hopeful sparkle?
“I don’t believe this. How can you guys think this is actually real?” Felix’s reiteration was loud and had a playful air to it.


The boy grabbed Ru Yin’s (who was standing nearby) Browning Hi-Power and aimed it at Ashvin’s head. Without any hesitation, Felix pulled the trigger. An explosive bang rang out and Ashvin fell backwards to the ground, never expecting that Felix would really shoot him.


Everyone was shocked, but not all of them were rendered motionless.


Felix’s hand shook, but not enough to drop the gun in his hands. Looking pale, he turned tail and ran into the dense foliage, leaving Shen and Ru Yin, who was now without a weapon.


The others? Slowly, they fled too. Many of them shocked that Felix had actually killed their class president. Everyone knew that it wasn’t a joke now.

Chapter 3

It feels like a set-up

“I’m sorry, what?” Asked Ivan, whom had been distracted by the loud noises of the Homo sapiens in the bus.

“I said, it feels like a set-up. This whole school trip thing” Sighed Syaza.

“So, what you’re trying to tell me is that the teacher spent hundreds to sponsor us all to this trip, just for a set-up? Yeah, sounds pretty reasonable”

“Not that la Ivan, Miss Ann-Marie is nice enough to set the whole trip for 5S, but WE here as seniors-becoming-chaperone-for-the-trip is definitely not a coincidence. I think Yuki, Darren and our lovely juniors here” – Syaza rolled her eyes – “purposely request for us two to be here. You do know how they love teasing us both, right?”

“Yeah, that might be true but looking at the bright side, we now have more quality time together, with the juniors I mean” Said Ivan with a grin.

“Like why in the world would I spend my precious time with you” Mumbled Syaza, yet still unable to hide her mouth from shaping a cheeky smile. “Wait till I get my hand on Yuki, she is so dead!”

“Right.....” Ivan drifted his eyes to the window.

                At the other side of the bus, Kelly Low was busy convincing Sham Siv to watch YGOTAS, her high-pitched voice can be heard even a mile away. Poor Sham could just nod her head in agreement.  Twin sisters Jesline and Vivien Tang overheard the conversation and joined in; their previous desire to sleep abandoned them as the four girls chat away in the bus.

                Shu Ern and Arreya were weirdly silent in the bus, still regretting their decision to join the bus trip instead of going shopping. In their mind, they could almost imagine the racks of fashionable dresses being crowded by shoppers, sparing not even an inch of the cloth for them.

                “Cheer up girls, you still got me right?” Benjamin said brightly.

                “Oh Benji, how would you know, those fabulous clothes will moan without us!” Weep Shu Ern.

                “No, my personal tailor can make up for all of it, no?” Winked Benjamin, immediately winning both of the girls’ heart.

                “Hmm..... tough proposal, at what cause?” Asked Arreya, her eyes already gleaming back to life.

                “The cost is that we all enjoy this one week of adventure and have fun!”

                “As you wish, master” Giggled both girls simultaneously.

                “Hey Farid, what are you doing?” Asked Ashvin.

No answer.

                “Suit yourself” Ashvin shrugged, trying his best not to be upset, since the situation of the bus was not suitable enough for him to sleep, he decided to find a friend to talk with. Since Farid – who was sitting in front - was now out of the list, he turned to Ru Yin and Chong RuYin who sat behind him.

                “Tham, Chong, what are you guys doing?”

                “Boring ourselves to death, wanna join?” Replied Tham.

                “Sure”

                “Ah shut it Shen, don’t mind him Ashvin, he’s just a little carsick. We were discussing about what interesting thing might happen when we got to the place. I mean seriously, why can’t Miss Ann-Marie just tell us where exactly is the destination? At least we can plan everything earlier” Chong said, a little bit worried about everything.

                “Well that’s the surprise Chong. Just let it go for awhile will you?” Shen snapped.

                “Woa, relax dude, and please hold it in kay? I don’t want to clean the whole bus up because of you” Chong rubbed Shen’s back, trying to calm his friend down.

                “Getting carsick doesn’t means that I’m going to barf, moron. But I’m fighting over a seriously huge headache over here”

                “Ah okay then. By the way, anyone actually talked to Sayyid yet? I mean, he’s as quiet as robo-guy over there, and he’s practically mute!”  Chong pointed to the particular guy who ignored Ashvin’s question earlier, the one who was shutting himself from the world with the help of his iPod.

                “First of all, Farid’s not mute, he can talk.... I think” Ashvin said. “and second, yep. I talked to him when we was waiting for the bus to come. He’s pretty nice, but mind seems to be somewhere else. Like he’s thinking over something important.”

                “Like the regrets he had for moving from his old school to this hell? Possibly.” Shen said, his fingers rubbing his forehead gently to decrease the headache.

                “Hell? I prefer mental prison thank you. For example, Kaveeta there, as you can see, is with her minions trying to make Kay Chloe’s life more miserable. If you look to the left, you can see Tim trying to sneak a frog into Lucas Yeoh’s shirt. Now look at your back, you can see our psychotic vice president, Clarissa Kor nagging Gynie Yeung concerning her way-to-colourful dress and care free life. And don’t even get me started on gigglish Ash Nair and Syasya Aqilah gossiping behind us.”

                “Well looking at the bright side, at least they’re not sleeping” Ashvin tried to justify their actions.

                “Natashya Khoo and Celine Wu is”

                “Ah just shut up will you?” Shen found his limit.

                Among the noisy students, Shixin Chng sat alone, looking through the window. In her hand was a small picture that she held firmly, like it’s the dearest thing for her. Though constantly, her eyes will drift to her classmates and settled on that guy. But then she’ll shook her head and continue on looking through the window, trying hard not to let the same thing from happening again – and yet she still do so.

                Three hours later, the commotions in the bus fade as the students start to feel drowsy. One by one felt asleep. Cheah, who was busy working on his short story, stopped for awhile and looked around him.

                “Umm..... Aifa? Don’t you feel odd? Everyone suddenly felt asleep, even Tim, and I thought he can’t sleep.” No reply, apparently Aifa had also joined her classmates in the land of dreams.

                “Great, even I feel drowsy” Yawned Cheah, but he tried to stand up to stretch, refusing to sleep because he wanted to finish up his work, but his feet failed him and he drifted to sleep, but not before he saw a rather peculiar sigh; the bus driver and Miss Ann-Marie were wearing oxygen masks...

HELLLO!! :)

Hello guyss! :) know me? remember me? ahah. Never mind. I don't feel like introducing myself now. :P anyway, i've just posted to share my moment at the Maher Zain concert. yesss! he was just....fine. i mean his songs, and everything. i just love to go there again. yes. AGAIN. :) so..

i've no info. i've that info but just 'cekidaut' it at my blog. :)

ITS ME, MYSELF MEE.! BLOG.

JUST CLICK IT AND YOU'RE ON :)


THANKS.

Starstruck Battle Royale - Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

First step to doom...

One by one the students arrived at the front gate. Some of them shouting, hugging, teasing and even chasing each other. They are all in standing in groups, laughing and discussing on what they are planning to do, food they brought on the bus ride, new songs they downloaded. All except Farid who was sitting alone with ear plugs on and shutting the world away from him.

If it was up to Farid, he would have never agreed to come to this trip with a bunch of losers that is pretty much lifeless. He have so much more things to do but his mother and here constant nagging really got to him.

"That's nice, a trip. It's free too? You should totally go, Rid." his mother had said while cleaning the pots that were kept hidden in the cabinet for ages. It was not peculiar when his mother starts doing something unusual. She always finds something to occupy herself when his dad was away. That one time she decided to knock down the walls of his room and make a garden there. Or the time he almost got killed because of her.

"I'm not going, just telling you so you can say no when the teacher calls." Farid replied, not making eye-contact but flipping through the magazine left lying around.

"You have to go. It's better than staying here and drawing those terrifying portraits you seem to enjoy so." she said, shaking her head slightly. She then looks down at the sponge she was holding and started stuffing it in her shirt. 

Farid moved like lightning and took the sponge away from her. "No, mum. Besides, the drawings are true and real." Farid moved away and hid the sponge from her mother. He hates many things but drawing memorials of war or detailed drawings of man getting eaten by a tiger on canvas appeals to him. "I'm not going." he pressed firmly.

And here he was, sitting here, forced to go. He thought to himself, "At least I have my iPod, I can shut the world away." He would prefer to live in a world, free of anyone so he is free to do anything. He took out a sketchpad and continued the current masterpiece, the worms eating the insides of a human's gut. He smiled when he imagined the worms, eating a human from the inside, hollowing it and slowly killing the human. He was finally deep in his own world.

“Do the students all know Ivan and Syaza?” asked Miss Ann-Marie.

“Well most of us do. Well, if you don’t let me introduce them to you guys. Syaza is my sister and Ivan is her boy…I mean friend. He’s a friend.” Yuki said with a nervous laugh.

“Oh sod it, Yuki. We know their dating, kind of obvious, don’t you think?” Kaveeta laughed and pointed at Syaza and Ivan who was holding hands. They pulled their hands apart as soon as they realized that they have an audience. This caused them to all burst out laughing. Farid shake his head but he can’t stop the smile creeping on his lips.

*

The bus was cramped. The air smelled musty and the mixture of all different body odours. From the window, the sun high in the sky shines down on them. Some windows was covered by curtains to prevent the sun rays from entering while some are cranked down low to let some air roll in.  Beads of sweat trickled down faces of the students of class 5 Starstruck. Most students were sweating profusely and kept dabbing their foreheads with cloths. Kaveeta who was the head cheerleader was still looking fine with not a single hair out of place and crisp like it was just blow-dryed.

"Do you not sweat?" Yuki asked, shaking her head. Yuki is sitting opposite Kaveeta and she's annoyed at how everyone is sweating like pigs but Miss Oh-So-Perfect is sitting there, laughing without a single bead of sweat. Kaveeta has always been the popular cheerleader, the girl all the boys want to date. Sometimes Yuki wish that somebody will just tell Kaveeta off for being so vain and full of herself.

Kaveeta throw her head back and laughed. "Beautiful people doesn't sweat. I guess that's something you don't know about." That causes another round of laughter from her stuck up posse, Najihah, Amelia, Chan, Amber and Nalina.

"Since you don't sweat, why don't I help you?" Adrian said and reached forward to dump the contents of the water from his bottle on Kaveeta's head. Kaveeta screamed so loud that everyone had to cover their ears but all of them started laughing seeing her trying to find something to soak the water all over her.

"Thanks." Yuki said and smile at Adrian.

"No problem. Who wants to hear her gloat all the way anyway." Adrian said and turn back to his friend.

Kaveeta turned around and glared. Someone is going to suffer for this and she just knows who. 

Hi everyone!

I'm finally here!!!

After months of dilly-dally on whether I should get a blog or not. 

Keep me updated!! :)

Securities Commissions

No, I'm not applying to be a security guard.

I have my scholarship interview tomorrow morning at Bukit Kiara. I'm scared. I'm nervous. I'm wayyyyy terrified. Why? I suck at interviews. :/

My folder of certificates and all is prepared. My clothes for tomorrow is prepared. ( though I'm still thinking whether to go with my Mum's suggestion of wearing blouse and slack or go on with my original plan to wear baju kurung )

Now I need to go and prepare mentally. Pray for me guys. <3

Starstruck Battle Royale - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It’s just a harmless school trip

                 A particular school day had been rather interesting for class 5 Starstruck. Partly due to the fact that Tim, the class clown, had been caught by the newly appointed homeroom teacher, Miss Ann-Marie for trying to slip a fake snake into her purse. He was punished so severely by the new, stunning teacher – by standing in front of the class for the whole period with the fake snake on his head without making any noise – that the teacher had earned new respect from the whole class in a short span of time.
                 “Okay, class, since the semester break is coming, are you planning on doing something?” Miss Ann-Marie asked innocently – while still glaring at Tim who tried his hardest to not laugh.
                 “I don’t think so, teacher, my parents will be busy overseas so I’m stuck at home“ replied Ashvin, the class president with a tendency to be kind to everyone.
                 “Noob” whispered a voice – Felix’s – from behind, causing some giggles from his pals, Darren, Adrian and the mischievous girls.
                 “Me and Arreya are planning to go to the big mall in the city, I heard the cute new dresses are already there to be purchased by us” Shu Ern winked at Arreya who winked back, God save their dads’ credit cards after they’re done with them. Some other enthusiastic students expressed their wishes to visit some places, some even said that they’ll just hibernate for the whole holiday.
                 “Farid? Are you with us?” The concerned teacher asked a silent boy who seemed to not be interested with the commotion. The boy named Farid looked up from his desk, blankly stared at the teacher and continued watching the wall. “Yes, Miss, I’m still here” replied Farid dully.
                 “Ahah, don’t worry, teacher, he’s always like that! Maybe he’s stuck in his own world?” Chuckled cheerful Lucas, trying his hardest to ensure that the new teacher was not offended by Farid’s action. The class buzzed on with excitement as they wait for the final bell for the first semester to ring, signifying the end of school for the semester; Tim seemed to be extra eager to end the class, seeing that he had been standing for a really long time now.
                 “Too bad if you already planned something for the holiday, because I’m proposing for us to celebrate the end of the semester together, how about that?” Ann-Marie’s sentenced echoed around the class; sparks begin to shine in the students’ eyes upon hearing that.
                 “Do I have your attention? Ah good, I’m thinking, since we’re free for 2 weeks, what about we all go on a school trip to somewhere fun? You know, like a fun park or someplace intriguing” Said the teacher with a smile a teacher shouldn’t have – especially among her own students.
                 “But teacher, where exactly? What about the fare, permission letters and such?” Asked the curious vice president of 5S who seems to find flaws and problems even as tiny as an amoeba.
               “All can be taken care of, I’ll call all your parents for the permission and even better, the fare will be sponsored by me, I came from a rich family, you know! The only requirements for you guys is to be standing by at the school gate with clothes and other necessary things enough for a 4 day trip. 1st of June, everyone agrees?” Miss Ann-Marie cheerfully explained that the location of their destination is to be remained a secret, but she promised that it will be “a trip of a lifetime” for everyone. Almost every student agreed with the plan immediately, even suspicious Claire decided that there’s no harm in that.
                 “Daryl, you’re going?” asked caring Aifa who perfectly knows that Cheah’s discomfort with other people.
                 “I don’t know, Aifa, maybe not” answered Cheah nervously to the only human in the school that he found comfort with talking to.
                  “Come on la Daryl, it’s just a harmless school trip. When else can we find a golden opportunity like this? I’ll definitely be going so I expect you to do so too. Come on, don’t make that face! It’ll be fun.” Aifa said innocently, completely unaware on how wrong her statement was.